Kiefer Sutherland swaps big screen for the blues

Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland will release debut album this summer and tour the US from next month

Hollywood star Kiefer Sutherland's debut album will get a widespread release this summer.

And the actor with a passion for the blues has also confirmed a North American tour which kicks off next month.

There's no firm release date for his folk-tinged album Down In A Hole, but the 11-track effort is expected in the coming months.

Sutherland says: “It’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to a journal or diary. All of these songs are pulled from my own personal experiences. There is something very satisfying about being able to look back on my own life, good times and bad, and express those sentiments in music.

"As much as I have enjoyed the writing and recording process, I am experiencing great joy now being able to play these songs to a live audience, which was something I hadn’t counted on."

The star of films including Stand By Me, The Lost Boys and Young Guns, as well as hit TV series 24, launched a record label called Ironworks with friend Jude Cole in 2002.

And last year he played Cole two songs he'd written and wanted to record as demos for other artists to record. Cole responded positively to the songs and it grew into an album.